Grape seed extract is made from the seeds of wine grapes and contains proanthocyanidins. As a supplement it is promoted mainly for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure; it is also an ingredient in skin and mouth products.
Also known as: GSE, Vitis vinifera seed extract, grape seed proanthocyanidins, OPCs.
There is no intake value or upper limit. NCCIH says products differed from study to study, and the reviews below pooled different amounts and durations.
It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.
What studies show, per NCCIH: a 2020 review of 11 studies (536 people) found lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides but no change in total or HDL cholesterol; NCCIH says these conclusions are not definite because the studies were small and products varied (Anjom-Shoae 2020). A 2022 review of 19 studies (1,080 people) found lower diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) but not systolic, with results that differed between studies (Foshati 2022). There is not enough research in people to say whether it helps wound healing or tooth decay.
Safety, per NCCIH: generally well tolerated by mouth and on the skin. NCCIH advises talking with a provider before using it with any medicine, since some herbs and medicines interact. Little is known about safety in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for grape seed extract that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. Plant and mushroom products are mixtures of many compounds, so no single figure would describe them.
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